Isla Mowbray: candidate profile and interview

Pulp sits down with the USU Board hopefuls.

Faction: Switch

Slogan: I’m with Isla

Colour: Yellow gold

Manager: Switch (Swapnik Sanagavarapu, Liam Donohoe, Lauren Lancaster, Ellie Stephenson, Jayfel Tulabing, Oscar Chaffey, Alana Ramshaw, Aydin Varol, Ishbel Dunsmore, and Tiger Perkins)

Degree: Visual Arts III

Quiz score: 95%, 1st out of 10

Mowbray is knowledgeable, unapologetically left-wing, and passionate about the performing arts. Her outstanding quiz performance demonstrates an impressive level of expertise concerning campus life and the USU. This is seemingly attributable to a genuine and active involvement in the university, especially as Vice President of SUDs and SRC Councillor for Switch.

In her interview, Mowbray said she’s running for Board to support a university community that she has been “really lucky to benefit from”. Mowbray demands greater transparency, correctly pointing out that Board meeting minutes have not been uploaded to the USU website since 14 December 2020. Her main policies are societies centric. She promises to prioritise “resources for clubs and societies” through a review of the much-maligned funding model, while improving communications between clubs and the USU with more consultatory forums.

Students on the Left can be excited to back Mowbray, who maintains that “what we believe politically aligns with our morals and values”. Mowbray says her politics would intrinsically shape her directorship and that “at the root of left-wing politics is a sense of care and duty to our communities”. According to Mowbray, this would manifest in assisting the SRC Collectives and supporting activism like the May 21 climate strikes. When asked how she would bridge the gap with right-wing Board directors, Mowbray was unconvincing: “I just hope the majority of the board will be left-wing.” 

Mowbray’s platform naturally emphasises the performing arts. She raised the idea of a week-long “creative arts festival” resourced by the USU, in which societies like SUDS and MADSOC respond to a given stimulus with short performances.

One of her biggest criticisms of the USU is its over corporatisation. She pointed to events like Pop Fest which are covered in USU branding yet are sometimes nearly empty. “It’s quite disillusioning,” she said. To fix this, Mowbray suggests greater consultation with societies to determine “what’s actually going to engage people”.

Unsurprisingly, Mowbray condemned the Catholic Society for their ableist stunt on Eastern Avenue and called for the USU to publicly censure their actions. She was, however, vague about issuing specific sanctions, instead proposing an “official warning” that would indicate “real consequences”.

Mowbray said the USU’s support for international students abroad is “dismal”. She would address this by amplifying the communication avenues of clubs and societies while increasing Zoom events and ensuring USU communications are translated into relevant languages. 

Of the current candidates, Mowbray would most like to work with Scott-Curwood and her fellow Switch candidate Goile. Although she said she’d like to see Wilkins-Wheat or Lotz as President, it’s pretty evident that the former would be her number one choice.

Mowbray’s platform is one of openness and clarity. In other words, you know what you’re getting. She’s knowledgeable, left-wing, values clubs and societies, and loves the performing arts. What more needs to be said?

Voting opens 9:00am May 17 and closes 5:00pm May 21. Voting is exclusive to USU members, who will be sent an email to submit their vote. Sign up here.

Watch the full interview below.

Article by Fabian Robertson.